(c) Tenhi
Tennis like to take their time, but in the eleven and a half years since “Saivo” the Finnish sextet has been caught up in reality. The original concept – a fairytale story about a burning village destroyed by war and the crossing to the island of the dead – seemed inappropriate to the musicians over time, because it has meanwhile become a chilling reality. Such approaches were discarded in favor of somewhat friendlier, hopeful sounds, although the echo of the original idea still reverberates. “Haven” seems caught between two worlds.
In keeping with the long waiting time, an eleven-minute lurks at the beginning: “Saattue” packs everything that makes Tenhi’s sound magic into one song. An extremely long, fragile intro leads to gentle picking and no less fragile singing, trying to build up the most carefully and a lot of emotional thoughtfulness. The track only gains in volume, adds more tracks, but remains just as hopeful to thoughtful – a concession to the recent past and rethinking, even though the final minutes seem to transport remnants of the original idea. There is also a certain oppression in the piano of the following “Kesävihanta”, which is turned into the opposite by the buttery second voice in the finish.
The babble of voices in “Elokuun linnut” seeks identity and finds fragile melancholy. Rarely has Tyko Saarikko sounded so shocked and at the same time flattering, trying to turn the stifling emotions of the present into a hopeful bedtime story. A few doors down, the title song “Valkama” starts out big and powerful, but quickly converts the implied minor tones into a little friendliness. Tenhi lay an additional melody over the events and do themselves a lot of good with it. “Aina sininen aina” even transports this to the vocal cords, accompanied by a post-rock piano. Is it all vain after all?
70 minutes later, grueling in a completely different way, Tenhi shines in a whole new, yet ultimately familiar. One always recognizes the original musical DNA, the original plans shine through but receive a fresh coat of paint. A touch of optimism spreads and creates beauty in a world that can urgently need exactly that. The wait for “Valkama” was worth it and once again shows Tenhi in the now usual captivating, thrilling form.
Rating: 8/10
Available from: 09.06.2023
Available through: Prophecy Productions (Soulfood Music)
Website: utustudio.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Tenhiband
Category: Magazin, Reviews